Compasses and dividers.



C. DIEDRICHS, SR.

COMPASSES AND DIVIDERS.

APPLICATION r1150 MAY 25. 1915.

Patnted Apr. 11,1916.

IHI/ENTOR WITNESSES:

A HORNE)" CHABLES DIEDBIQHS, SE, OF HACKENSACK, NEW JERSEY.

COMPASSES AND DIVIDERS.

Specification of Letters Patent. I

Patented Apr. 11, 1916.

Application filed May 25, 1915. Serial No. 30,319.

To all whom it may concern Be itknown that I, CHARLES DIEDRIoHs, Sn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Hackensack, county of Bergen, and State ofNew Jersey, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Compasses and Dividers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

This invention relates to a class of instruments adapted to be used by draftsmen and artisans.

My invention has for its object primarily to provide an instrument, or compass and divider designed to be employed by draftsmen, carpenters, builders, and other artisans for facilitating the drawing of plans, and laying-out work, etc., and which is of a form adapted to be readily converted 'from a compass to a divider as well as vpermitting a pencil of any desired length to be used in conjunction therewith in a manner whereby the instrument with the pencil may be carried in a pocket of a person without subjecting the point of the pencil to be broken as is. incident to the ordinary types of instruments of this class.

The invention consists essentially of two leg members which are pivoted together so as to be hingedly swung toward and from each other, and on these leg members is provided a retaining device for locking the members against movement when in adjusted positions. One of the leg members has its free end sharpened to a point, while the second leg member is tubular in form for adjustably holding a pencil therein, and at the free end of the tubular member is provided a catch which serves as means for releasably holding the pencil against accidental move ment in this tubular member.

Another objectof the invention is to provide a cap member adapted to be applied over the pointed end of the pencil so as to be removably held on the free end of the tubular leg member to prevent the pencil point from being broken, and this cap is tapered to a sharp point for serving as a complemental line-marker to the sharpened free end of the first leg member when the instrument is .used as a compass. I

A further object of the invention is to provide a compass and divider of a simple and eflicient construction, and which is susceptible of being made so as to combine great strength and durability.

A practical embodiment of the invention after, and then pointed out in the claims at f the end of the description.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is an elevation, partly broken away, of one form of compass and divider embodying myinvention. Fig.- 2 1s a section taken vertically through the tubular leg member of the instrument, and F1g. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line III.III of Fig. 2.

. The instrument, or compass and divider has two leg members 10 and 11 which may be of any suitable diameters and lengths, and the upper ends of these leg members are p voted together, at 12, so as to be hingedly swung toward and from each other. The leg member IQ is of somewhat the form of an obtuse angle to provide an upper portion 13 and a lower portion 14 disposed angularly with relation thereto, and this lower portion 1s tapered to a sharp ,free end. The leg member 11 is likewise of the form of an obtuse angle to provide an upper part 15 and a lower part 16 disposed angularly thereto, and this lower part of the second leg member is tubular in form. By forming these leg members in the shape of an obtuse angle when their free ends are directed together the upper portions thereof will be spaced apart in diverging arrangement, and

m opposed parts of the inner edge of the upper portions of the .members are recesses 17 and 18 respectively.

The tubular portion 16 of the leg member 11 is of a length so that the leg member is considerably shorterthan the leg member 10, 1

and this tubular portion is adaptedto receive a pencil, as 19. The formation of this tubular portion at an angle relatively to the upper portion 15 servesto permit a pencil of avfull length as well as a pencil of a shorter-length to be accommodated in the instrument, and in order to allow the pencil to be easily adjusted upwardly and downwardly in the tubular portion, especially when of a short length, part of this tubular free end of the tubular leg is also exterior-1y threaded, as at 23.

When the pencil has been adjusted in the tubular leg 11 so that its pointed end extends a suitable distance outwardly of its free end, and to releasably hold the pencil against accidental movement, a catch, as 24, is provided. The catch 261 1s composed of a clip, or finger 25 which is substantially L- shaped to provide a vertically disposed arm 26 having one end welded, or otherwise secured to the tubular leg while the other part of this arm is bent outwardly of the leg and then turned inwardly at an angle to provide a transverse arm 27 movab ly extending through a slot, or opemng 28 in the opposed part of the tubular leg. The cl p, or finger 25 is made of spring metal wh ch is tensioned to normally force the spring finger outwardly of the opening 28, and on the exteriorly threaded enlarged part 21 of the tubular leg 11 is threaded a sleeve-nut 29 which when rotated toward the free end of the tubular leg will engage the vertlcal arm 26 of the sprin finger 25 for forcing the transverse arm 2% inwardly of the opening 26 of the tubular leg so as to engage the pencil in the tubular leg. The encil will 'then be tightly held in the tubu ar leg for using the instrument as a compass, and when it is desired to loosen the pencil in the tubular leg the sleeve-nut 29 is reversely rotated. The tension of the L-shaped spring finger 25 will then cause its engagement wlth the pencil to be released, and the pencil may be removed from, or adjusted in a suitable manner in the tu ular leg.

The instrument as thus provlded may be employed as a compass by draftsmen, car-' penters, builders, and other artisans for drawing plans, and laying-out Work, etc., and in order to lock the leg members 10 and 11 against accidental movement when the members are adjusted in spaced relation, I provide a retaining device, as 30. The. re-

taining device 30 has two bars. 31 and 32 Qne end of the bar 31 is seated in the recess 17 of the upper portion of the leg member 10, and this end of the bar is pivoted, at 33, to the leg member. One end of the bar 32 is likewise seated in the recess 18 of the leg member 11, and this end of the bar is pivoted, at 34, to the second leg member. The opposite ends of both of the bars 31 and 32 are disposed in overlapping arrangement between the leg members of the instrument and through these ends of the bars are threaded holes in which is passed a setscrew 35. When the leg members 1.0 and 11 are spread apart a suitable distance by tightening the set-screw 35 the arms 31 and 32 of the retaining device 30 will be locked together, and in turn the leg members will be held against movement. By loosening (-35 the set-screw 35 the arms 31 and 32 will be unlocked, and the leg members may then be adjusted to and from each other.

To permit the instrument to be converted from a compass to a divider, a cap member, as 36, is provided. The cap member 36 has a hollow body 37 which is tapered to a sharp pointfor serving as a complemental linemarker to the sharpened free end of the leg member 10. Extending upwardly from the hollow body 37 is an annular flange 38 which is interiorly threaded, at 39, as well as being exteriorly threaded, at 40, and this annular flange is of a diameter to adapt it to be screwed on the threaded end 23 of the tubular leg 11 of the instrument. The interior of the hollow body 37 of the cap member 36 is of a size to accommodate the pointed end of the pencil, and to convert the compass to a divider the cap member is disposed over this end of the pencil and screwed on the threaded end 23 of the tubular leg, after which the sleeve-nut 29 of the catch 2 1 is adjusted partly over the exteriorly threaded part 40 of the annular flange of the cap member and partly over the threaded enlarged part 21 of the tubular leg, the annular flange of the cap member being of a thickness to permit the sleeve-nut to be thus parting from the principle, or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention, therefore I reserve to myself the right to make such changes as fairly fall within the scope thereof.

Having thus described my invention, I

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a compass and divider, two leg members pivotally connected so as to be swung to and from each other, one of the leg members having its free end sharpened to a point and the second leg member being tubular for reception of a pencil, a catch on the tubular leg member, adapted to engage the pencil for releasably holding the pencil against .accidental movement when adjusted in the tubular leg member, and a cap member removably fastened on the .free end of the tubular leg member, and inclosing an end of the pencil when projecting therefrom. v

2. In a compass and divider, two leg members pivotally connected so as to be swung to and from each other, one of the leg members having its free end sharpened to apoint and the second leg member being ber removably fastened on the free end of the tubular leg member, and inclosing the end of the pencil when projecting therefrom, and a retaining device on the leg mem-- ber for releasably locking the leg members against accidental movement when in adjusted positions.

4. In a compass and divider, two leg members pivotally connected so as to be swung to and from each other, one of the leg members having its free end sharpened to a point and the second leg member being tubular for reception of a pencil, a catch on the tubular leg member, adapted to engage the pencil for releasably holding the pencil against accidental movement when adjusted in the tubular leg member, a cap member removably fastened on the free end of the tubular leg member, and inclosing theend of the pencil when projecting therefrom, and a retaining device on the leg members for releasably locking the leg members against accidental movement when in adjusted positions. v 1

5. In a compass and divider, two leg members pivotally connected so as to be swung to and from each other, one of the leg members having its free endv sharpened to a pointand the second leg member being tubular for reception of a pencil, the free end part of the tubular leg member having an opening and being exteriorly threaded, a spring finger on the tubular member, movable inwardly and outwardly, of the opening so as to engage the pencil for releasably holding the pencil against accidental movement when adjusted in the tubular leg member, and a sleeve-nut .threaded on the exteriorly threaded end of the tubular leg member.f0r yieldingly forcing the spring finger into engagement with the pencil.

6. In a compass and divider, ,two leg members pivotally connected so as to be swung to and from each other, one of the leg members having its free end sharpened to a point and the second leg member being tubular for reception of a pencil, the free end part of the tubular leg member having 7 an opening, and being exteriorly threade a spring finger on the tubular member, movable inwardly and outwardly of the opening-so as to engage the pencil for releasably holding the pencil against accidental movement when adjusted inthe tubular leg memher, a sleeve-nut threaded on the exteriorly threaded end of the tubular leg member for yieldingly forcing the spring finger into engagement with the pencil, and a tapered cap member removably fastened on the free end of the tubular leg member, and inclosing the (fend of the pencil when projecting thererom.

members pivotally connected so as to be 7. In a compass I and divider, two leg swung to and from each other, one of the leg members havingits free end sharpened to a point and the second leg member being tubular forvreception of a pencil, the free end part of the tubular member having an opening, and being exteriorly threaded, a spring finger on the tubular member, movable inwardly and outwardly of the opening so as to engage the pencil for releasably holding the pencil against accidental movement when adjusted in the tubular leg member, a sleeve-nut threaded on the exteriorly threaded end of the tubular leg member for yieldingly forcing the spring finger into engagement with the pencil, a cap member-tapered to a pointed end, removably fastened on the free end of the tubular leg member,

and inclosing the end of the pencil when projecting therefrom, and a retaining device on the leg members for releasably locking the leg members against accidental 'movement when in adjusted positions.

8. In a compass .and divider, two leg members pivotally connected so as to be swung to and from each other, one of the leg members having its free end sharpened,

to a point .and the second leg member being tubular for reception of'a pencil, a catch on the tubular leg member, adapted to engage the pencil for releasably holding the pencil against accidental movement when adjusted in the tubular leg member, and a pointed member complemental to the sharpened end of the first leg member, removably held on the free end of the tubular leg member.

This specification signed and witnessed this twenty fourth day of May A. D. 1915. CHARLES DIEDRICHS, Sn. Witnesses:

RoB'r. B. ABBOTT, M. DERMODY. 

